Custodian of the Edinburgh Fringe, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, has confirmed that Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea will leave the position of chair on 30 March.
O’Shea was due to step down last year after eight years in post but had his tenure extended by unanimous request of the Board due to the pandemic and its devastating impact on the Fringe Festival.
Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said, “in a period of great uncertainty, Sir Tim O’Shea has been a figure of strength and stability for the Fringe Society, and I am incredibly grateful that he agreed to extend his tenure in the wake of these extraordinary times.
“I’d like to personally thank him for his passion, commitment and foresight, and for his guidance during the most difficult year the Fringe has faced. I know that he will continue to be a great friend both to me and the Fringe Society in the future.
“There’s no doubt that real challenges lie ahead. But I look forward to working with our new Chair to make sure that the spirit of the Fringe burns as brightly as ever, and to build a more resilient Fringe Society to support the return of the Edinburgh Fringe as the best version of itself. We strongly encourage applications from a diverse range of backgrounds to ensure the Fringe Society is best representing the communities it serves.”
An open recruitment process to encourage applications from a diverse range of backgrounds has begun to find a new chair. Information is available from the Edinburgh Fringe web site. The closing date for applications is 1 March.